Warren County boys basketball Senior Night 2021

On Monday evening, January 4, 2021, the Warren County High School boys’ varsity basketball team had their Senior Night against Manassas Park. Senior Night is a longstanding tradition meant to celebrate the accomplishments and future goals of the graduating players on the team. In the midst of stressful and uncertain times, the Warren County boys’ basketball team has persevered and continued to work hard to make this season count. For the eight seniors on the team, it is especially important that they cherish every game, as COVID-19 outbreaks continue to cause cancellations.

This season’s senior night was placed very early on the schedule to avoid the chance of a future cancellation. Due to the special occasion, parents were able to socially distance and watch the game from the stands. Anyone not in attendance could still watch the game using a new streaming service run by Wildcat’s Live! on sportscope.com. The live streaming service, run by Warren County’s sports marketing team, includes play-by-play commentary and will be available for all home varsity games.

Although Warren County did not claim a victory against Manassas Park, the game was hard fought and undoubtedly memorable. Senior player Bryce Post, who scored 7 points in the game, said, “to be a senior on the Warren County basketball team is amazing; we have eight seniors who have all worked together and become a family over the years. It’s always fun to just be around these guys and play ball, win or lose.”

Prior to the game, each athlete walked across the gym with their close friends or family members and spoke about their intentions for the future, as well as shared their accomplishments as a student-athlete at WCHS. Michael Kelly, a senior on the team, showed thankfulness for the opportunity to have a senior night despite the current pandemic; “Ever since my freshman year I have been looking forward to senior night, and I am glad I was able to celebrate it at a time like this.”

The WCHS gym was decorated with balloons and posters to celebrate the seniors on the team.

The high energy game ended in a loss for WC with a final score of 46-76. Gabe Davis stood out with excellent ball handling and sheer determination trying to drive the ball up the court. Davis, who led the team with 10 points and 2 steals, stated, “It felt good to be at home with some familiar faces in the crowd,” and, “it was a little emotional being reminded that this is my last year playing basketball.” Tensions certainly ran high throughout the game as WC tried to take away Manassas Park’s lead.

Senior player Kendyll Branch reflected on the game and said, “Although it wasn’t the best game, it was good to be out there playing with my fellow seniors.” Branch also spoke about his experience as a senior and said, “Time flies when you’re a senior, and you have to soak in every moment before it’s gone.”  The opportunity to participate in games this season, despite the current conditions, provides a sense of normalcy for the seniors on the team who have lost many other events they would normally look forward to. Michael Kelly said, “We’re not just a team, but a family, and being able to have a season with the guys is something to appreciate.”

The team, as well as the community, look forward to the rest of the season and hope for a smooth schedule. The Wildcats have many more upcoming games this season, including a home game against their rivals, the Skyline Hawks, on January 8th.

The JV and Varsity Girl’s basketball game, (Skyline vs Warren) also on January 8th, will be live-streamed on the Royal Examiner.